Graduation
Please see the Commencement page of Campus Life and Student Engagement's website here.
Graduation is held at the end of the Spring semester each year. Students who have petitioned to graduate for the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony. You must submit a petition for an associate degree at the Counseling Office by the end of the fifth week of the term in which you plan to graduate. You may check the student calendar for specific deadline dates.
The Board of Trustees of the Santa Clarita Community College District as authorized by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall confer the degree of Associate in Arts or Associate in Science upon a student who has satisfactorily completed the degree requirements. Please see the college catalog for specific degree or certificate program requirements.
You may view your program progress via the MAP tile in My Canyons to make sure you are completing your degree requirements and/or make an appointment with a counselor for more information.
Petition Deadlines
The deadline to turn in a Petition for Associate Degree is the end of the fifth week
of the graduating semester.
If a student would like to participate in the Graduation Ceremony, and the student
is petitioning to graduate in the summer semester, the Petition for Associate Degree
is due by April 1st.
The deadline to turn in a Certificate Petition follows the end of the fifth week of
the semester in which the requirements are going to be fulfilled.
There is no ceremony for those petitioning for Certificates.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is my Graduation Ceremony?
There is one Graduation Ceremony per academic year. The Graduation Ceremony will include those students who graduated in the Fall term and those who Petition to Graduate in the Spring and Summer terms. Specific details about commencement will be sent by email from the Office of Campus Life and Student Engagement.
How do I find out more about the Graduation Ceremony?
Please email the Office of Campus Life and Student Engagement at campus.life@canyons.edu for more information or check the Commencement page here.
When is the graduation date for this year?
Please check the Commencement page here for more information.
When is the Honors Banquet?
For questions regarding Honors celebrations, please contact the Honors department
at honors@canyons.edu.
When should I expect my degree?
Degrees will be mailed to the graduated student at the address provided to College of the Canyons about 3 months after the graduation term is complete. The student is reminded to keep his/her mailing address up to date with College of the Canyons so that the degree is mailed to the correct address. Once your degree and/or certificate is awarded and posted to your transcript, you can request a duplicate diploma via Parchment.
Where can I find a list of programs that College of the Canyons offers?
List of current majors - Counseling Office
Where can I find a list of certificates that College of the Canyons offers?
List of current certificate programs - Counseling Office
What is the difference between a Certificate of Achievement and a Certificate of Specialization?
According to the College Catalog:
- A Certificate of Achievement is awarded by the Board of Trustees of the Santa Clarita
Community College District as authorized by the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges when a student has successfully completed required courses in an
approved program of study as specified in the Degree Curricula Santa Clarita Community
College District and Certificate Programs section of this catalog. To qualify for
the Certificate of Achievement, students must satisfy the following requirements:
1. Complete at least half of the units required for the certificate program in residence;
2. Earn a grade of C or better in each course required for the certificate;
3. File a petition for the certificate in the office of Admissions and Records during the semester in which requirements will be completed. - The Certificate of Achievement is awarded on the College of the Canyons transcript.
- A Certificate of Specialization is a departmental award in an area of specialization
requiring less than 18 semester units. This issuance of the departmental award is
not recorded on the students official transcript. To qualify for the Certificate of
Specialization, students must satisfy the following requirements:
1. Complete at least half of the units required for the certificate program in residence;
2. Earn a grade of C or better in each course required for the certificate;
3. File a petition for the certificate in the academic department issuing the certificate during the semester in which requirements will be completed. - The Certificate of Specialization does not appear on a College of the Canyons transcript.
How are Catalog Rights determined?
Catalog rights are determined by the first term a student attends the college. Once catalog rights are established, they will remain with the student until the student leaves the college for one calendar year. The student would need to miss four consecutive terms, (fall, spring, winter, and summer) to lose the catalog rights. A student may opt to use any catalog year for which they have continued attendance.
Can I earn a second Associate Degree?
Yes. According to the College of the Canyons College Catalog:
College of the Canyons is authorized to award multiple associate degrees provided the following conditions are met:
1. At least 12 semester units are completed in residence at College of the Canyons.
2. All current College of the Canyons general education and American Institutions requirements have been met.
What are the requirements for an Associate Degree?
Please refer to the current College Catalog for specific requirement information.
You may also contact the Counseling department to find out specific requirements.
How do I know if I am awarded honors with my degree?
Academic recognition at graduation will be based upon all degree applicable units from College of the Canyons and from all other regionally accredited colleges where the student has completed units. Categories of academic recognition include the following:
Cum Laude Graduate - requires a cumulative Associate degree applicable grade point
average of 3.5 - 3.69.
Magna Cum Laude Graduate - requires a cumulative Associate degree applicable grade
point average of 3.7 - 3.89.
Summa Cum Laude Graduate - requires a cumulative Associate degree applicable grade
point average of 3.9 - 4.0.